The Curious Village
by TeddieWuv
Summary: Another Professor Layton fanfiction with that new character, Rosalyn "Rosy" Fisher. Takes place after The Last Specter where she and a bit of her past are introduced. Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN PROFESSOR LAYTON OR ITS CHARACTERS. THIS STORY IS FOR ENTERTAINING THOSE WHO READ IT.
1. Prologue: Meeting the Residents

It was another beautiful day in London. I was in the bright red vehicle known as the Laytonmobile. As we drove, Professor Layton, my archaeology professor, handed Luke and I a letter as we sat in the back seat.

"I don't get it, Professor..." Luke began.

"Why are we going to help solve an inheritance dispute?" I finished Luke's question. We did this quite often with each other. Others thought we had psychic powers, but we just knew each other very well as neighbors back in Misthallery. Although I was much older than him, we were best friends and could predict each other.

"Rosalyn, Luke, do you really think that I would take on such an ordinary request as that?" Professor Layton asked. I guess not. He was actually quite famous because of his discovery of the Golden Garden, another mystery I'd accompanied. It was mainly because I usually played with Luke back then, and when he joined the Professor, so did I. It was after that when Luke and I moved to London, much closer to the Professor, and we became his official apprentices. "Oh, no! This is an altogether unique and exciting situation, and it has piqued my intellectual curiosity. But I suppose it would be best to explain the case before we arrive at our destination. Two months ago, Baron Augustus Reinhold passed away. Shortly after his death, his will was disclosed. The contents of it were fascinating, to say the least. 'The Reinhold family treasure, the Golden Apple, is hidden somewhere within this village. To whomever successfully locates this treasure, I offer the whole of my estate.'

"Naturally," Professor Layton continued, "those who attended the reading of the will immediately set out in search of the Golden Apple. But in the end, everybody came back empty handed. It turns out that no one had even heard of such a treasure existing until its mention in the will."

"Wow, that's some puzzle, all right." Luke said in astonishment.

"And a puzzle worthy of the Professor himself." I added.

"Quite. Augustus Reinhold staked his entire fortune just to create one more puzzle before his death."

"What a perplexing individual...perhaps you would've liked him, Professor?" I asked in curiosity.

"I believe I would have, if I had met him when he was alive."

"I agree! It certainly sounds like you two would've gotten along! By the way, what is this Golden Apple anyhow?"

"Some speculate it's a rare antique, while others say it could be a gem, yet its identity remains elusive. However, I can't shake the feeling that this matter is linked to some larger mystery. Something huge."

"Something tells me that Professor Layton's famous intuition is acting up again!" I responded.

"Perhaps so. Well, our first step is getting to town."

"This is all so exciting!" Luke said with a grin, "I hope St. Mystere is ready for the famous archaeologist and puzzle-solving detective..."

"Hershel Layton!" Luke and I announced simultaneously. Professor Layton chuckled before continuing.

"Oh, you both know as well as I do that I am no detective. Augustus Reinhold's wife, Lady Dahlia, has asked me to investigate the situation. It seems she came across my name when reading an article about me in the papers."

"And you immediately decided to take her up on her request?" Luke asked.

"Well, I know the Professor loves a good puzzle, and this situation is no different!" I agreed.

"That, and a true gentleman never refuses the request of a beautiful lady." Professor Layton tipped his hat, giving Luke advice.

"If you say so, Professor..."

"We should be nearing the town by now. Look at the map in the envelope, you two, and help me with directions."

"Of course, Professor!" I said enthusiastically.

"You got it!" Luke confirmed.

"What in the-?! What's this?" Luke and I exclaimed in confusion together.

"Lady Dahlia seems to have given us a test. We'll need to decipher this map in order to find the village. She wants to see if we're capable of cracking the mystery surrounding the Reinhold fortune. Care to give it a go?"

Luke and I nodded towards each other confidently. "We'll do our best, Professor! After all, this should be a snap for the apprentices of the great Professor Layton!" we said together.

"Very well, I'll let you both handle this. Think of it as a warm up of things to come." We then took a closer look at the map.

Puzzle Number 001: Where's the Town?

"My village is on a road that leads to no other towns. I look forward to seeing you there." Draw a circle around the correct village.

Luke and I cautiously examined the map, then our eyes met at the town in the upper left. We examined the road leading to it and grinned, circling it.

"Layton's apprentices save the day!" Luke announced cheerfully with a smile, having solved the puzzle correctly. "Now we should be able to make our way to the village."

"Right you are. We should see it on the horizon at any moment now."

"Huh? Do you mean..." Luke began.

"You already knew the town's location?!" I finished in surprise. Professor Layton chuckled-that's a yes.

"I'm afraid I couldn't help myself. A basic puzzle like that is easy enough to solve with a glance. Anyhow, you two had better gather your things. We've arrived." We emerged from the "Laytonmobile", Luke carrying his satchel with a notepad and pencil inside. I grabbed my bag as well, which contained about the same items. "Interesting..." Professor Layton mumbled as we examined the town. There was a huge building in the background that truly stuck out, its floors jagged and about ready to collapse. "It appears that this drawbridge is the entrance to the village." he pointed out.

"And we're stuck on the outside." Luke sighed.

"So, what do we do, Professor?" I asked.

"Oh, look over there! There's a man standing on the other side of the river. Maybe he can help us!" Luke announced with a grin. Professor Layton looked towards the man and began to ask for help.

"Good day, sir! We'd very much like to gain access to the village. Could you please drop the bridge for us?" Professor Layton asked politely, as a true gentleman like himself would.

"Do I LOOK like the sort to go droppin' the bridge for a bunch of fancy lookin' outsiders?! Hmph! You've got a lot of nerve!" he declared viciously. Despite this, Professor Layton remained calm.

"We received a letter of invitation from Lady Dahlia. I don't suppose that changes things, does it?"

"From Lady Dahlia? Well then, I'd sure like to lower the bridge for you, Mr. Fancypants...but the engine is busted, and I can only move this blasted bridge with the hand crank. Hmph! There's all these infernal slots I could put the crank in, but I got no clue which one to use...hmph! So, smart guy, you got any idea which one is the right one?"

Puzzle Number 002: The Crank and Slot

There's no way to lower the bridge and get across without inserting the crank into the correct slot! Which slot fits the crank?

Professor Layton stepped forward, examining the crank and the three different slots. "I believe that it would be this one," he announced, pointing to the leftmost slot and inserting the crank. Professor Layton, of course, got the correct answer.

"That'll do it! Hold on a second. I'll let her down. Hmph! I'm going to say it again, I just don't feel right about letting outsiders into St. Mystere." he declared with an aggressive grimace. He then sighed, "But, if you're Lady Dahlia's guests, I guess I'd better. At least give her my regards, you hear?"

"Of course, sir." I confirmed, and he then lowered the bridge. "Thank you very much, sir." I told him after we'd crossed, then continued to follow Professor Layton and Luke.

"Yes! We've finally arrived in St. Mystere! I'm so excited! I wonder what mysteries await us here." Luke said excitedly with an enthusiastic grin. Professor Layton chuckled.

"Well, Luke, we'll find out soon enough. Just be careful not to let your excitement cloud your ability to analyze your surroundings. Rosalyn?"

"Hm? Yes, Professor?" I asked in response.

"Are you alright? You haven't said a word since we entered. Usually, you're as enthusiastic as Luke!"

"To be honest, Professor...I'm getting a strange vibe from this place..." I admitted, shivering even though it was a bright, warm, sunny day.

"Really? Well, Rosy, your senses usually don't fail you. I wonder why." Luke muttered, calling me Rosy, his nickname for me.

"I understand how you feel, though. I feel quite...strange myself. Well, let us continue." We then walked over to a man to the right, initiating a conversation.

"Keh heh heh! What a dandy set of people you three are. Must be new to St. Mystere, eh? The name's Stachenscarfen." he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Hershel Layton, and these two are Rosalyn Fisher and Luke Triton." Professor Layton introduced.

"Keh heh heh! Nice to meet you, too. I'll see you around." he said with a smirk, then left. We then headed towards an elderly woman and initiated a conversation with her.

"Oh, hello. Pleasure to meet you. Welcome to St. Mystere, where our local export is...the puzzle! For practice, try this little riddle that your hat reminded me of. Think good and hard before you answer."

Puzzle Number 003: Strange Hats

These four top hats are all the same height, but the length of each brim is different. In other words, the hats are equally tall but vary in width. One of these four hats has a brim and height that are the same length. Which one?

"I believe I've got the answer..." Professor Layton muttered as he chose the hat in the top left, "Hat A." As always, the Professor was correct.

"Oh, bravo! I think you've got the hang of this. Well then, best of luck to you three! I'll be rooting for you!" the elderly woman, who'd introduced herself as Ingrid, certainly seemed to enjoy the Professor's puzzle solving abilities. We continued onward, making our way to the manor.


	2. Chapter 1: Reinhold Manor Awaits

Chapter 1: Reinhold Manor Awaits

On the way, we talked to a boy. "Oh, hello." he greeted, "I'm Percy, St. Mystere's unofficial 'writer in residence.'"

"Oh, then would you mind telling us how to get to Reinhold Manor?" I asked politely.

"Reinhold Manor, you ask? Head up that road to the right. It's immense, so you'll know it when you see it. But before you go, why not try your hand at this puzzle I thought up? See if you can figure out which house is mine from the instructions I give you. I'll even sweeten the deal for you! If you manage to solve this puzzle, I'll tell you about the village. So, how about it? You will try, won't you? After all, a writer is nothing without an audience!"

"All right, I'll see what I can do."

Puzzle Number 004: Where's My House?

Can you find my house? Go out the front door of my place and turn left. At the first intersection you come across, take a right. Turn right again at the following intersection, and you'll come face-to-face with the morning sun. Circle my house.

"Well, let's see...your house would have to be...this one!" I declared, circling the blue roofed house around the middle of the map.

"Impressive! I thought I'd set out quite the puzzle, but you made short work of it. Now for that gossip I promised you. The Reinhold family owns all of the land this village is built upon. I hear they own all the buildings too. I guess you could say that this town sort of belongs to the Reinholds. Well, I'll be on my way now. But rest assured, next time we meet, I'll have a harder puzzle for you!" he assured as we left. We then took notice of a clock tower.

"That clock tower is rather worse for the wear. Speaking of clocks, I've got just the puzzle for you, Luke." announced Professor Layton. "Admittedly, it concerns a more modern type of clock, but never mind that minor detail."

Puzzle Number 005: Digital Digits

Imagine a digital clock. How many times will the clock display three or more lf the same number in a row over the course of one day? In case you were wondering, the clock in this puzzle displays time on a 12-hour scale, not on military time.

"Hm..." muttered Luke as he thought for a moment. "I think I've got it!" he announced. "It would display three or more of the same number in a day 34 times!" he declared proudly.

"Precisely the answer I was looking for, Luke. Well done, my boy." Professor Layton said proudly to his apprentice. We ventured onward, to the right.

"Hey, look at that man standing in the street." Luke pointed out. "He's blocking the path to Reinhold Manor. How terribly rude!"

"Perhaps he'll move for us."

"I don't think he has any intention of doing that..." I said with a sigh. Regardless, we walked over to him.

"Hold up! I've never seen you three here before. What're a beautiful lady and a couple of fresh faces doing here?" My face tinted a light shade of pink to the words 'beautiful lady', having almost never received a compliment before.

"We're here by invitation of the Reinholds. Now if you'll excuse us, we have business through the gate."

"Business with the Reinholds, is that so? Something's strange here. Yeah, you're a fishy trio, mm. I don't trust you, that's for sure, but I'll let you pass if you can solve this riddle, see? Just to warn you, it's a tough one. Isn't going to be easy, is it? No way, definitely not going to be easy..."

Puzzle Number 006: Light Weight

Here we have eight small weights that all look the same. However, one of the weights in the group is slightly larger than the rest. Using this scale twice, you can find out which of these weights is lighter than the rest. So, which weight is the light one?

Professor Layton took the scale and six of the weights, putting weights 1, 2, and 3 on the left and 4, 5, and 6 on the right. When weighed, 4, 5, and 6 were lighter. He then removed all the weights except for 4 on the left and 5 on the right. Weight 5 appeared to be lighter, and he now had his solution. "That should do the trick." said the professor with a grin, correct once again.

"Hey, not half bad. Pretty sharp bunch, aren't you? You three are sharp apples, I'll give you that."

"So, have we satisfied you? May we pass now?"

"Of course you can pass! Move along! And you'd better make sure to give my regards to Lady Dahlia." It seemed as if that one request was that of every other resident in this village! Lady Dahlia must've been well-respected...which should actually be expected, if the Reinholds practically owned the place. We continued forward, encountering another man.

"And just who might you be?" he asked.

"My name is Layton, and these two are my assistants. We received an invitation to visit Reinhold Manor." he introduced.

"Ah, yes, yes. Ahoo hoo hoo! We've all been expecting you, Professor Layton. But, ahoo hoo, you'll have to excuse my skepticism. Can't trust anyone these days, you know." That last phrase was all too true...I knew that personally. "For all I know, you could just be another hoo-hoo-hooligan in a top hat. A hoo hoo hoo! So how do I know you're the real Layton?"

"Did you hear that, Professor? The nerve of this fellow!" Luke said, aggravated. I understood Luke's feelings, as the Professor was a man to be trusted much more than this fellow himself, but I also understood his feelings due to the mishaps I'd encountered during childhood. "Surely you aren't going to go through with this after an insult like that!"

"Now, now, Luke, settle down. Sir, are you saying you'd like to test me to see if I'm the real Professor Layton?"

"Precisely, Professor 'Layton.' Now, if you don't mind, would you please solve this puzzle for me?"

Puzzle Number 007: Wolves and Chicks

Get the three wolves and three chicks to the other side of the river while obeying the following conditions. No more than two animals can ride the raft at the same time. There must be at least one animal on the raft for it to move. If more wolves than chicks stay on either side of the river, the wolves will eat the chicks.

Professor Layton started by moving two of the wolves to the other side of the river. After letting them off of the raft, he brought one of the wolves back over to the left. He took the remaining two wolves to the right side and brought one of them back. He put two chicks on the raft next, and brought them to the right. He then took one of the two wolves on the right and one of the chicks on the right over to the left. The remaining chicks (two) were brought to the right. He then took the only wolf on the right back to the left. Afterwards, two of the wolves were brought to the right, one of them returning to the left, and this occurred until all of the wolves were on the right. "That should do it." Professor Layton said proudly, correct again.

"Ahoo hoo hoo! Do excuse my earlier rudeness! Let me show you to the manor. Everyone's waiting for you."

"Everyone? I was under the impression that Lady Dahlia was the only person expecting me."

"Right this way, please." the man said, ignoring Professor Layton's question. After the conversation, we paused for a moment and noticed some flowers.

"Wow, look at those flowers! They sure are pretty! There are even some roses...like your name, Rosy!" Luke said enthusiastically. Ironically, roses were actually my favorite flower.

"You know, roses are actually my favorite flower."

"That's actually quite fitting. Roses are a lot like you, Rosy…except for the thorns." Luke said with a slight pink to his cheeks and a smile. Seeing him blush around me made me do the same. I really wasn't used to receiving compliments.

"Indeed they are. I'm sure that someone must've spent a lot of work into raising those flowers. Oh, that reminds me...would you two like to hear a puzzle about raising flowers?"

"You'd bet, Professor! Let's hear it!" Luke and I said together again.

Puzzle Number 008: Farm Work

Alfred and Roland have been hired by a farm to sow flower seeds. They've been assigned a 10-acre plot of land and split it in half so they can work independently. Roland starts from the east and Alfred from the west. Alfred can plow the land at a rate of 20 minutes per acre. Roland takes 40 minutes to plow, but sows seeds at three times the speed Alfred does. If sowing seeds on the 10-acre plot pays $100, how much of that money should go to Roland?

After pausing and thinking for a moment, we realized that since the split the acre in half, they deserved equal amounts of pay. "Roland should earn..." Luke began.

"Fifty dollars!" I pointed out proudly.

"Splendid work. Good thinking, you two. You really are quite the pair." Professor Layton congratulated with a smile and a tip of his hat. We then boarded the boat in front of us and rowed across the river to the other side.

"Is THIS the manor, Professor?! It's positively gigantic! Just look at the size of it!" Luke seemed quite enthusiastic, as always, towards our location.

"It certainly seems as if we've come to the right place." After we ventured to the manor, we paused to take a breath.

"Let's head in." I muttered. This place made me feel really strange, to tell you the least.

"Yes, Rosy!" Luke grinned, running inside past us.

"Rosalyn, are you feeling all right? You don't have to join us, you know." Professor Layton asked out of concern.

"No! I'm fine, really! I want to figure this mystery out as much as you do, Professor." I assured.

"If you say so. Ladies first." he said as he held open the door for me.

"Thank you, Professor." I smiled gently as I stepped inside. He followed after me, and a man who appeared to be a butler greeted us from the enchanting mansion before us. Above us, a chandelier glistened brilliantly in the sunlight, illuminating our beautiful surroundings.

"Welcome to Reinhold Manor. Thank you for coming. I am Matthew, butler and servant to the Reinhold family. Everyone is waiting upstairs for you. Ah, but before you go, I have a message from Lady Dahlia. She has requested that you take a look at this puzzle. Please do not be taken aback. Madam has the strangest sense of propriety sometimes."

Puzzle Number 009: One Poor Pooch

The matches are arranged in the shape of a dog. This poor little guy was just minding his own business when a car came barreling down the road and ran him over. Move two matches to show the dog after the accident.

Professor Layton took the two innermost matches, showing the dog's legs, to the top, making an image of a dog from a bird's eye view squished.

"That's absolutely correct. My commendations, sir. Again, I do apologize for the strangeness of this request. Now, please walk this way. We mustn't keep Lady Dahlia and company waiting."

Luke, at that moment, noticed a couple of paintings. "Rosy, Professor, look at these paintings!" he pointed them out in astonishment, focusing to one of whom I'd assumed to be Baron Reinhold.

"The detail is so...amazing!" I said in shock. I was a bit of an artist myself, but I wasn't as good as the artist here, that's for sure!

"It's a very nice portrait, isn't it? I'll bet that's the late Baron Reinhold pictured there. But what about this one?" he then focused to a portrait of a young girl with her hair in a ponytail and a beautiful red gown. "Who could this pretty girl be?"

"The two portraits are next to each other, so they're likely family. She's probably the baron's daughter." Professor Layton presumed.

"That's exactly right, sir. You are looking at a portrait of Flora, the late baron's daughter. Pardon me for asking, but I couldn't help but notice your keen interest in art. Would you care to take this old frame with you? It used to hold the most wonderful painting. However, now all that's left of it is this small scrap."

"So, this is a piece of that old painting then?" Luke asked after we obtained the scrap. "How interesting!"

"I wonder what it'll look like if we collect all the pieces!" I exclaimed with enthusiasm. We then looked towards a bookshelf towards the right of the spectacular portraits.

"Bookshelves seem to line every wall of this estate. The baron must've been quite the avid reader." Professor Layton pointed out. "It's important to keep your mind sharp, Luke. So why don't you give this puzzle a go?"

Puzzle Number 010: Alphabet

All right, here's a quick and easy one. The first letter of the alphabet is A, and the letter B comes after the letter A. However, the letter you need to worry about is the last one. What's the last letter of the alphabet? And here's a hint: it isn't Z.

Luke paused for a moment to contemplate, then began to grin. "The last letter of the alphabet is T!"

"How did you like that puzzle, Luke? I hope it has prepared you for tackling more difficult puzzles." Luke nodded, and we finally adjourned the stairs to find many others in the manor, awaiting us. I'd never felt so...important, even though I wasn't.

"Oh, you must be Professor Layton, I presume? It's an honor to make your acquaintance." a woman I assumed to be Lady Dahlia greeted. I think that was one of the friendliest greetings we'd received since we arrived!

"Oh, no, the pleasure is all mine." Professor Layton said, approaching Lady Dahlia to shake her hand, but as he held his hand out, the entire building shook! I would've fallen over, had Luke not helped me.

"Are you okay, Rosy?" he asked after helping me back up.

"Y-yes. Thank you, Luke." I said with a smile. Just then, the cat Lady Dahlia had been holding jumped out of her hands and ran past Luke and I.

"Oh, no! Claudia, darling! Come back, sweetie!" Lady Dahlia cried like an obsessed cat lady. "Honestly, why am I constantly surrounded by incompetence? This is a disaster!" Wow, rude much? I hated rich people like this, obsessed and more concerned with their pets than actual people and thinking that they were better than everyone else.

"Whatever is the matter?" Only Professor Layton could keep calm in this situation and remain polite.

"Oh, this is simply terrible!" Just get to the point, it's no use complaining about it. "My dear, sweet baby! My Claudia!"

"Ick." I muttered so that she wasn't able to hear me. "Rich people."

"Your...Claudia?" Professor Layton asked in confusion.

"Sweet, sweet Claudia! My little honeykins! My smoochie pie! My baby!" What was WRONG with this lady?! "Mathew! Matthew!"

"Madam! What is it? What in the world happened?" Matthew asked worriedly.

"My little Claudia got scared and ran off! Didn't you see her dart out of the room?"

"I...I must've missed her. I'm terribly sorry, Madam."

"Oh, you're just useless, aren't you!" I was just about ready to slap her, she was talking so insane! All this commotion over a cat? "Professor, you didn't see which way my baby ran off to, did you?"

"Your...baby?" she was just confusing the professor with all these nicknames. "If you are referring to that white cat, I saw it run out of the door a moment ago."

"What?!" she asked in shock. She didn't see? "And you simply stood there and let her escape?!" This woman was definitely a crazy cat lady. If she was so ancy about this, why not go after the cat herself? Rich people.

"Well, she IS a cat. They are animals, after all, and animals must run about from time to time to-" Exactly, Professor!

"You fool! She is NOT just a cat! She has a name, and that name is Claudia Reinhold!" Cat lady to the max. "She is a delicate flower, and she is simply a mess when I'm not close by to comfort her!" It didn't seem that way to me. If anything, Lady Dahlia must've been smothering this cat. "Matthew! I need you to find Claudia and bring her back immediately!" That lazy...!

"About this little inheritance problem of yours, Lady Dahlia-"

"That can wait! Can't you see that we have a more pressing concern on our hands at the moment?!" MORE PRESSING CONCERN?! Lady Dahlia was driving me insane! "You could've stopped her and you didn't! So you have a responsibility to find Claudia and bring her back!" So do you, you little...!

"Hmph! Sending the professor off to find a silly cat! The nerve! Who do you think you are?!" Luke protested bitterly.

"I agree, Luke! What a stupid request!" I growled in frustration. The professor chuckled towards our anger.

"Oh, it's fine, you two. Besides, Lady Dahlia has a point. It does seem we let Claudia run off."

"But, Professor, she let Claudia run off, too! She has as much of a responsibility as we do!" I protested angrily.

"That may be so, but we'd better help. After all, it's what a gentleman should do. Madam, if you'll excuse us, we have a cat to track down."

"Thank you, and please hurry! My Claudia is such a delicate flower, even the coarse outdoor air might prove too much for her!" Ick. That is all.


End file.
